The Wedding
by Basil's Angel of Music
Summary: A year had passed since the Pirate Captain had proposed to his trusty first mate, the Pirate with a Scarf, and now their big day has finally arrived! All rights go to Gideon Defoe and Aardman Animations.


Although only a year had passed since the Pirate Captain had proposed to the Pirate with a Scarf, it felt like a whole lifetime for the two of them. They both longed for their wedding day with every inch of their beings, and the twelve long months seemed to drag out for so long, that it almost felt to them that their big day would never come. Needless to say, the crew, who were just as excited for them as they were, felt the exact same way. Their usual piratical activities, , singing shanties or getting into arguments on a specific subject, only for said argument to get out of hand and end up turning into a bloody battle did help take their minds off of it now and then. However, when they got back to making arrangements for the upcoming wedding, their excitement was always immediately rekindled.

Thankfully, because this would take place on the boat, there weren't many arrangements needed to be made. The first thing was to work out who would officiate their union. Normally, on a ship, that would've been the captain's duty, but because the Pirate Captain was the one that was soon to be married, they all agreed that that might be a bit hard. So they decided to sail to the Galapagos Islands, where they had dropped off their scientist friend, Charles Darwin on their adventure with scientists a year before. When they had first met him, one of the things they had learned about him was that his father had sent him to Cambridge to train to be a minister. That was, however, before he had set sail for his scientific expedition on the HMS _Beagle_. Although he had not yet been ordained (and probably never would be, since he was so caught up in his work), but they still hoped that he would still have had enough training to conduct a wedding, and that, as their friend, he would be more willing to perform such a ceremony for two men. At first, when speaking about it to the Pirate with a Scarf, the Pirate Captain was a little unsure about the idea himself, remembering that his beloved first mate and the scientist didn't exactly see eye to eye. However, the younger pirate reassured him that it would've been just fine, since he had already forgiven him for all the trouble he had caused them. Upon their arrival the Galapagos, they spoke with the little scientist (who had finally found love with one of the native ladies there), and much to their delight, he agreed.

Once that had been taken care of, they set sail again so that the rest of the arrangements could be made. The next ship they plundered was a Royal Navy ship. It was a very gutsy move they made that day, even if all they took were the nice looking gilt chairs which the crew would use for the ceremony. However, they all pulled through and made it back safely back onto their own ship before sailing off, managing not to lose anyone in the process. They could easily just have used the chairs that were in the dining room below decks, but they all thought that they were too old and worn to be used on a special occasion such as this. They also plundered some boats transporting various foods to different countries, taking whatever they liked for the sumptuous feast which would take place after the ceremony. After that, they sailed back to Blood Island, where the Pirate Captain spoke to his tailor and commissioned a white pirate hat and coat for him to wear on the day. He also asked for a white Navy uniform and tricorne hat similar to the regular blue uniform and hat the Pirate with a Scarf normally wore. He then bought the wedding rings from a jeweller's shop there, two silver bands each with a pearl, one white and one black, mounted atop them by an ornate silver owl's foot. Yes, the arrangements were very few and seemed to take very little time. However, the pirates were still very satisfied once it had all been prepared, especially since some of them were done so in the traditional piratical way. The Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf were both especially happy with it all; it definitely looked to them that they'd be having the marvellous traditional pirate wedding they had both been dreaming of ever since the night the Captain made his proposal to the first mate.

Soon, the evening on which the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf would be married had finally arrived. The first mate was standing in the middle of his cabin, where he had stayed all day, spending plenty of time to get himself ready. The reason why he had not once set foot out of his cabin all day was because that all the pirates felt that it would be bad luck for he and the Captain to see each other before the ceremony. He was dressed in his new white uniform, just staring at the door, shaking all over and his heart beating unusually fast. For a while, excited though he was that he and his beloved Captain's big day had finally arrived, he simply just could not bring himself to step forward towards said door. He hadn't been as nervous as this since that St. Valentine's Day when he was just about to give the Captain his "World's Best Captain" mug. He was having another one of his anxiety moments again. Despite the fact that they all had agreed that this wedding would be secret, known only amongst themselves, he still couldn't seem to shake the fear of what would happen _should _anybody else find out. Was a union between two male pirates something the Pirate King would allow? If not, what grizzly fate would befall them both if even so much of a hint of their marriage had come to light? He remembered how carelessly the Pirate Captain had blown their cover after having just won 1st Prize for Best Scientific Discovery during their adventure with scientists, another reckless act which almost cost him his life. Could he really go through with this? If anything were to happen to his dear Captain, the Pirate with a Scarf would surely _never _get over it, especially if he was partially responsible for it for agreeing to such a marriage.

However, he soon shook his head to try and clear these dark thoughts out of his mind. Of course he would go through with it. If not for himself, but for his Captain and for his crew, who had all been looking forward to this day and who were all up on deck waiting for them both to show up. Despite his fears, he didn't think he had the heart to disappoint them all by backing down, especially at the very last minute. Neither did he think he could break the Captain's heart in such a fashion. He decided he would just have to trust their promise to keep this all a secret.

_Well, Scarf, old boy_, he thought to himself. _You'd better get yourself out there now. Can't keep your friends waiting up there. Neither can you leave your Captain hanging like this._

Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down, he walked straight up to the door and opened it. Stepping out into the corridor, he was met with the Pirate Captain himself, standing next to the stairs which led up to the top deck. He was clad in his new white coat and hat, holding his hands behind his back.

When the Pirate with a Scarf caught the Pirate Captain's eye, he turned to face him and smiled lovingly. "Ah, there you are, Number Two," he said. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up."

It was at that moment that the Pirate with a Scarf felt all his fears and doubts suddenly leaving him, only to be replaced with utter joy and excitement. He simply couldn't seem to help the smile which crossed his own face as he fought the temptation to just run up to the elder pirate and wrap his arms around him there and then. Instead, he just laughed and began making his way towards his fiancé. His heart rate started to increase in speed again as each step he took brought him closer to the moment they had both been waiting eagerly for for months, the moment in which they would be joined together in a proper piratical union.

"Oh, nothing can keep me away at this moment in time, sir," the first mate answered, just before finally reaching his beloved Captain's side.

The Captain chuckled. "Well, that's good to know," he said, still smiling. Reaching a hand out, he then asked, "Well, are you ready, Number Two?"

His smile having now gotten wider, the Pirate with a Scarf just stared lovingly back at his fiancé. He found then that he no longer cared about what most of society thought about the concept of love between two people of the same gender, and certainly not the pirating fraternity either, or even what He upstairs thought for that matter. He decided then not to let anything, not even his own fears, get in the way of this wonderful day.

Reaching out, he took the Pirate Captain's hand and answered, "Yes, Captain. I'm ready."

The weather indeed was perfect for such an evening as this. The sun had just set below the horizon, but there was still that glow of orange and yellow at the bottom half of the sky, which merged with that of the top half, whose violet hue gradually got darker as it went up. Thankfully, because they were still in the Pacific, the air wasn't cold, just pleasantly cool, and a light breeze blew through the sails of the ship, which sailed slowly and easily through the calm, sapphire blue ocean. The pirates were all seated on either side of the isle, talking excitedly amongst themselves as they waited for the happy couple to come up on deck. Well, they were really discussing what the best bit about weddings was.

"The best bit about weddings," said the Pirate with Gout. "Is the dancing."

"That's rubbish!" replied the Albino Pirate. "It's the vows. The vows are easily the best bit about weddings."

"It's the wedding cake!" said the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens.

"The throwing of the bouquet!" said the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate. "That's what I like best."

"The kiss!" said the Pirate with a Hook for a Hand.

"The speeches!" said the Pirate with an Accordion.

Normally, discussions such as this would get out of hand and turn into violent fights, with bits of pirate flying everywhere. However, because they didn't want to ruin the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf's big day in such a grizzly fashion, they managed to control themselves and kept this discussion as civil as possible.

The railings were lined with lit candles, over which the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens had put his inflatable puffer fish lanterns, casting glows of various colours all over the deck. This, from a distance, would've caused the top deck of the ship to glow in the slowly darkening horizon. A long ribbon of white silk was also tied in a bow round the bottom of each lantern. Charles was standing at the altar in front of the door to the Pirate Captain's office, reading over the unusual script the Pirate Captain had written on the back of a bit of squid carcass for him to recite. He was hoping to use the traditional script from his Bible, but the Pirate Captain had insisted that this was the one he wanted the scientist to read out. Knowing that it was pointless to try and persuade the Pirate Captain once he had made up his mind, Charles had decided to say no more of it and just went along with it. He also made sure that his trusty Man-panzee companion, Mister Bobo, had remembered the rings.

Soon, all chattering ceased and all the pirates stood from their seats as their eyes turned towards the hatch, which had started to open at that moment. Out of it emerged the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf themselves, both smiling from ear to ear and holding hands. With his free hand, the Captain carefully closed the hatch whilst the first mate looked around at the scene in front of him. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as he scanned the happy and expecting faces of the crew, as well as taking in the beauty of all the colours the lanterns cast over the decks. This was definitely it. This was pretty much what each day serving under his beloved Captain had been leading up to. The notion that this moment had finally come started to make his heartbeat quicken a bit more, but he didn't care. He just felt so happy at that moment that he became more determined than ever not to let anything ruin this perfect evening or take his happiness away from him.

After standing up to his full height, the Pirate Captain looked lovingly at the Pirate with a Scarf. Looking back up at his fiancé, the first mate just nodded, as if granting the elder pirate permission to lead him down the isle. With that, the two pirates began walking hand in hand together down the long, red carpet which split the group of seated pirates in two, towards the altar where Charles and Mister Bobo were waiting for them. On their way, their smiles seemed to get wider when they heard the Pirate with an Accordion playing a slow, romantic tune for them, which stopped when they had finally reached the little scientist at the altar. The pirates all sat back down on their gilt chairs as Charles picked up the bit of dead squid, holding a candle up to it and cleared his throat before proceeding to read out the script written upon it.

"Rogues, scoundrels, roustabouts, pirates, and even rare exotic animals." As he added that last bit, he nodded towards Polly, whom the Albino Pirate, who was sitting in the front row, was cuddling in his arms. The little dodo smiled and gave a soft coo in response. Charles smiled in return before turning back to the bit of squid carcass in his hand and continued to recite, "We have come together on this Saturday evening to witness the union between the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf."

Looking up at the couple in front of him, he addressed, "Pirate Captain, Pirate with a Scarf, you are entering into a commitment born of love. Before these witnesses you are joining together, creating a union that involves both joy and responsibility. You must enter into your marriage with no lien on your ship or crew, free of other commitments. Bring forward the sword."

At that moment, the Pirate Captain unsheathed his cutlass and placed it upon the table in front of them. Both he and the Pirate with a Scarf then placed their hands on it as Charles asked, "Do you both swear on this sword that there is no reason why your union cannot proceed?"

"I do," answered the Pirate Captain, with a nod.

"I do," said the Pirate with a Scarf, also nodding.

Charles smiled again and turned to the Pirate Captain. "What is your full name and rank?" he asked.

"I am simply known as the Pirate Captain, and I am the captain of this very ship."

"Of course, of course," Charles replied, fighting to hold back a chuckle. "What do you desire?"

"This pirate's hand in marriage," answered the Captain.

"Will you have this pirate as your husband?" asked Charles. "Will you love him, comfort him, and honour him? Will you protect him, no matter who might board this ship and attempt to wrest him from you, as long as you both do live?"

"Yes," smiled the Captain.

Charles then turned to the Pirate with a Scarf. "What is your full name and rank?"

"I am the Pirate with a Scarf, first mate under the Pirate Captain," replied the Pirate with a Scarf.

"What do you desire?" asked Charles.

"The Captain's hand in marriage," the first mate answered.

"Will you have the Captain as your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, and honour him? Will you protect him, no matter who might board this ship and attempt to wrest him from you, as long as you both do live?"

"Yes, of course."

Charles smiled again before turning to face the rest of the smiling pirates and continued, "A marriage is more than two people. It is also the trusty crew that surrounds them and helps them. The Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf's marriage will be blessed by your support. All who would provide that support, say, 'Aye'."

"Aye!" came the enthusiastic answer from the whole crew, alongside a loud approving squawk from Polly.

Satisfied, Charles smiled and then turned back to the two pirates standing in front of him. "You may saw your vows."

The Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf turned to face each other, their smiles still glued to their faces. The Captain took the younger pirate's hand into his own callused ones and, staring lovingly into the first mate's beautiful sapphire blue eyes, began to say his vow. "I, the Pirate Captain, take you, Pirate with a Scarf, as my heart, my soul, my good man with a stout bottle-swinging arm, as the bright dawn of each new day and as the satin sheets of each day's night. I promise to love you and honour you. To make you laugh when you're feeling down, to listen to you when you babble on and on about nothing in particular and to protect you from harm. I shall love you through scurvy and through fire, in wealth or poverty whether you are near or far. And when I speak of treasure, everyone within the sound of my voice shall know what I am really speaking of is you. All of this will I undertake until there are no horizons left to chase and all the rum is gone."

The Pirate with a Scarf laughed quietly to himself as he put his free hand over the Pirate Captain's. Looking back up into the elder pirate's dark oaken brown eyes, he began to say his own vow. "I, the Pirate with a Scarf, take you, Pirate Captain, as my heart, my soul, my Captain with a crooked smile, as the foggy haze of each new day and the lumpy but familiar mattress of each day's night. I promise to love you and honour you. To make you laugh when you're feeling down, to listen to you when you babble on about nothing in particular, and to protect you from harm. I will love you through scurvy and through fire, in wealth or poverty whether you are near or far. And when I speak of treasure, everyone within the sound of my voice shall know that what I am really speaking of is you. All of this I will undertake until there are no horizons left to chase and the rum is gone."

"This is the most beautiful pirate wedding ever," whispered the Pirate with Gout happily to the Albino Pirate, who nodded in response, as they were both wiping away happy tears with their pirate neckerchiefs.

"Quiet! Shush!" hissed the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate.

Turning to Mister Bobo, Charles said, "The rings, please."

The little monkey, approaching the couple and held up the lilac satin cushion, on which both wedding rings had been placed. The Pirate Captain took the ring with the white pearl and the Pirate with a Scarf took the one with the black pearl.

"The ring is the most instantly recognised symbol of marriage," Charles continued, reading from his bit of dead squid again. "It is a circle, indicating the infinity of unbroken love. Like life, it returns back upon itself. Whether the rings are lovingly bought, taken as part of a rightful plunder, or stolen from a sunken chest, it symbolises the happiness, wholeness and love of your marriage. Your exchange of rings shows how your lives are now intertwined. Pirate Captain, place the ring on the Pirate with a Scarf's hand and repeat after me. 'I give you this ring...'"

"I give you this ring..." repeated the Pirate Captain, taking the Pirate with a Scarf's hand again.

"'...as a symbol of our love.'," recited Charles.

"...as a symbol of our love." the Pirate Captain repeated again as he slipped the ring onto the first mate's finger.

"'It is a reminder...'" continued Charles.

"It is a reminder..." said the Pirate Captain, looking lovingly down into the Pirate with a Scarf's eyes once more.

"'...of our promises to each other.'," finished Charles.

"...of our promises to each other," smiled the Pirate Captain.

"Pirate with a Scarf," Charles went on, now addressing the first mate. "Place the ring on the Pirate Captain's hand and repeat after me. 'I give you this ring...'"

"I give you this ring..." repeated the Pirate with a Scarf, taking the Pirate Captain's hand.

"'...as a symbol of our love.'," recited Charles.

"...as a symbol of our love," the Pirate with a Scarf repeated again, slipping the ring onto the Captain's finger.

"'It is a reminder...'" said Charles again.

"It is a reminder..." said the Pirate with a Scarf, looking back up into the Pirate Captain's eyes again.

"'...of our promises to each other.'," finished Charles again.

"...of our promises to each other," smiled the Pirate with a Scarf.

Charles smiled happily again and nodded before saying, "Bring forward the sword again."

The Pirate Captain obliged, taking his cutlass and placing it on the deck in front of him and the Pirate with a Scarf.

"When you both jump over the sword," Charles began. "It symbolises you cutting past ties and moving into the future together."

At that moment, the Pirate Captain took the Pirate with a Scarf's hand into his own, giving it a soft squeeze. The first mate looked up at his captain, who grinned as he wagged his eyebrows cheekily at him. The younger pirate smiled back, curling his finger's round his fiancé's, and the two of them leapt over the cutlass together, and thus, was their union sealed.

"May your wedding be blessed, and may it be spoken of wherever the Jolly Roger flies," smiled Charles. "I now pronounce you Captain and husband. You may both kiss."

The two pirates both looked at each other then, smiling lovingly before the Pirate Captain pulled the Pirate with a Scarf into his arms. The Pirate with a Scarf didn't resist; he just wrapped his arms around his bearded husband's neck as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Unconsciously, the Captain dipped the younger man as the crew immediately erupted into cheers, throwing their hats and bandanas up into the air. But neither of the two pirates seemed to notice; they were both just so lost in this perfect moment, relishing it completely. In all the days before since the night of their engagement, the long wait between then and now seemed to kill them both inside every day that passed. And now this moment had finally come; they were now both married and would remain so until death do them part.

Sadly, this moment was not to last forever as they soon felt themselves running out of air. Parting reluctantly, the Pirate Captain just stared down at the Pirate with a Scarf, whose face looked absolutely stunning in the dim light of the lanterns around them. The younger pirate had tears running from his eyes, but he was smiling widely as he stared back up at his beloved Captain.

The Pirate Captain just chuckled. "Yes, Number Two," he whispered, knowing all too well why his scarf-wearing husband was crying these happy tears. "You belong to me now."

The Pirate with a Scarf just kept on smiling as he caressed the elder pirate's cheek before running his fingers down his luxuriant beard. "I've _always _belonged to you, sir," he whispered back. "Even before I met you."

The Pirate Captain just grinned and pulled the first mate back for another kiss, which only lasted for a few seconds this time before he brought the two of them back up to their full height. As they both just stared lovingly at one another one last time, the elder pirate ran his thumb over the Pirate with a Scarf's cheeks, wiping away his tears before leading him by the hand back towards the hatch. The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate went in front of them however, picking handfuls of white confetti out of a bucket in her arm, scattering it over the isle as she went. The rest of the crew, still cheering, stood from their seats and followed the happy couple below decks, Charles and Mister Bobo coming closely behind.

Down below, in the dining room, the pirates waited the sumptuous feast which was the Pirate with Gout and the Albino Pirate, as the ship's cooks, had prepared together all day. As the now hungry pirates all tucked into their food, helping themselves to whatever they fancies, they all did their usual activities, talking, laughing, joking and singing their favourite shanties. However, tonight these activities also included congratulating the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf on their marriage.

Although there was plenty of plates of food on the table, the pirates all ate it rather quickly since they were dying for a slice of the mouth-watering wedding cake which the Pirate with Gout and the Albino Pirate had also baked and decorated together. Around the bottom layer, which had blue icing over to make it look like the ocean, with a red edible flower stuck on one side, were little treasure chests, their lids open to reveal little multi-coloured edible hearts. One of them even had two silver wedding rings atop the treasure in it. The second bottom layer had what looked like a treasure map draped over it, with the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf's initials on opposite sides. The initials had little tracks leading to a red heart shape, which also had a track leading to two golden rings in one of the bottom corners. Around that were little trees with white and yellow roses blooming from its branches. The layer above that simply had white pearl necklaces hanging around it, with white roses placed at the points where each necklace met. The top layer had little palm trees around it with a skull and crossbones in between. Lastly, at the top, were little figures of the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf themselves, each with one foot on top of a closed treasure chest, holding hands and holding their cutlasses triumphantly over their heads with their free hands. Behind them was a replica of the infamous Blackbeard's Jolly Roger, with a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear. The pirates, especially the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf, all agreed it was the best wedding cake they had ever seen. Not that they had seen many wedding cakes in their lives though, having spent most of their time at sea.

Once the pirates had all finished their dinner, the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf performed the ceremonial cutting of the cake together, both holding onto the Pirate Captain's cutlass as they did so, and served a slice each to their friends, including Charles and Mister Bobo. Though just as they had started to eat their slices of cake, the Pirate Captain called for silence so that he could make his speech.

Standing up, he cleared his throat and began to recite the speech which he had been practising for months: "Right lads, as I have said before, it's not always about me. No, no, behind every captain with glittering eyes and a luxuriant beard..."

"Luxuriant!" the pirates all agreed enthusiastically.

"...there's a crew of briny rogues!" the Captain continued.

"Briny rogues!" the pirates repeated in the same tone.

"Ah, sure some of you are as ugly as a sea cucumber," said the Pirate Captain, affectionately motioning for the Pirate with Gout.

"Heh heh, will you get away with ya," laughed the Pirate with Gout as he was lifting a forkful of cake to his mouth, waving free his hand dismissively.

"Some of you are closer to being a chair or coat rack than a pirate," continued the Captain, motioning to the Pirate with a Hook for a Hand, who cheered, lifting his stein of grog in response. "Some of you are just monkeys that have been dressed up as both a gentleman _and _a pirate in his time," he said, looking towards Mister Bobo, who grinned and help up a flash card with the word, "Arrh!" on it. "And some of you are just fish I've dressed up in a hat," the Captain went on in a self-deprecating manner, looking towards the Fish in a Hat, who merely gave a single gulp in response as he stared vacantly back at him.

"But all the same," the Pirate Captain went on, addressing the whole crew again. "I want to thank you all for being such good, loyal, reliable pirates who have served and supported me all these years. Especially for the way you've all worked together to help prepare for this wedding of mine. You're definitely the best crew a captain could wish for!"

The crew all raised their beer steins and cheered at that.

"However, the credit for such fine work doesn't go to you all alone," the Pirate Captain continued. "We all must thank our good friend, Mr. Charles Darwin here for agreeing to conduct the ceremony for us this evening. Most ministers wouldn't be so willing to conduct a wedding for two men, or two women either for that matter. But you, the ever smart and understanding fellow you are, you saw past that and agreed to use the basic training you got in Cambridge to perform our wedding for us all the same. Cheers, Chuck!"

Charles just chuckled quietly and shook his head. "The pleasure's all mine, Captain," he replied, smiling.

"But most of all," the Pirate Captain continued, looking down to the Pirate with a Scarf, who was seated next to him. Putting an arm around his new husband's shoulder, he went on, "I would really like to thank the Pirate with a Scarf here, not only for being the best first mate a captain could wish for, or even for being the best friend any man could wish for, but also for being the most wonderful person in the world."

The Pirate with a Scarf looked back up at the Pirate Captain with a loving smile on his face as he gently put his hand on top of the elder pirate's.

Sitting down beside the first mate, the Pirate Captain carried on, "For he has always been there for me whenever I needed him. True, I have never been the most successful pirate in the world and I'm certain he's all too aware of my many flaws. But all the same, he has seen past them all and continued to love and respect me for who I was as an individual. All the time that he has been with me, he has remained by my side, helping and supporting me all the way. Yes, there have been times when I took him for granted and ignored any piece of advice he wished to give me, but that was all before I realised my own feelings for him. But through it all, he always showed a great amount of tolerance to my recklessness and has always been there to cheer me up whenever I was feeling out of sorts and has encouraged me to hold my head up high and to keep going, no matter how hopeless things may have seemed to me. I honestly have no idea what I would do without him. He really is more than just a good man to have in a sticky spot." Turning to face the younger pirate, he caressed his face as he finished his speech in a loving tone, "Thank you, Number Two, for all you have done for me over the years. I love you very much."

Putting his hand over the Pirate Captain's again, the Pirate with a Scarf smiled and replied, "I love you too, Captain."

"To the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf!" exclaimed the Pirate with Gout happily, raising his beer stein. The pirates and Charles all cheered their loudest and struck their mugs together as the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf shared another loving kiss.

Once everyone had finished their dessert, they all left the dining room and went up on deck. The sun had set completely and night had fallen, but the candles inside the puffer fish lanterns were still burning. The pirates all cleared away the chairs, altar and red carpet, putting them all to the side to make room for the final part of the wedding: the dance.

As is the tradition of a wedding reception party, even that of a pirate's, the dancing always starts with the couple going up by themselves to perform the first dance together. So the pirates and Charles all watched with anticipation as the Pirate Captain led the Pirate with a Scarf by the hand out onto the dance floor and gently pulled him close. He put his free hand round the younger pirate's waist as the Pirate with a Scarf put his own free hand on the Pirate Captain's shoulder. As they were getting into their positions, the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate had started playing the slow introduction to the song that had been picked for the new couple's dance on her guitar. Though it wasn't until the Pirate with an Accordion joined in with the main melody of Pachelbel's "Canon in D Minor" that the Pirate Captain actually started leading the Pirate with a Scarf away into a slow, swaying dance.

Neither of them were very sure if it was even a real dance they were doing, and strangely enough, neither did any of the rest of the pirates, or even Charles or Mister Bobo for that matter. Though in that moment in time, none of them really seemed to care. It was just another beautiful and romantic moment for them to witness between their beloved Captain and his trusty first mate. Naturally, the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf both enjoyed this moment the most. For a while, they just kept up this little dance, stepping, swaying and turning together, both their eyes remaining locked together the whole time. In the dim light from the lanterns around them, the Pirate with a Scarf noticed that the Pirate Captain's had dark shadows over his face, making him look all the more handsome. His eyes too, looked so much darker than usual, intensifying the love that he could see from within them. This caused the Pirate with a Scarf's heart to tremble a little again and he couldn't seem to stop himself from leaning into the Pirate Captain's broad chest, smiling to himself as he listened to the steady beating of the elder pirate's heart. The Pirate Captain just smiled down at his husband affectionately in response as he continued to lead him through their little dance.

Soon, all too soon, the song that the Pirate with an Accordion and the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate were playing together came to and end and the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf stopped dancing. Though neither captain nor first mate really cared; they were both just so wrapped up in their happiness that their smiles remained on their faces as they both stared lovingly at one another. For a moment, they remained that way whilst their friends applauded and cheered before they themselves got up onto the dance floor.

For the next couple of hours or so, everyone just danced away to upbeat renditions of their favourite shanties, some of which they actually sung along to. Sometimes they did little improvised dances by themselves, sometimes they danced in pairs, switching partners occasionally, and sometimes they all danced together in a group. Indeed, it was pretty safe to say that each and every single one of them enjoyed themselves thoroughly that night. In fact, they would all soon agree that it was the best night of their lives and one they would always remember for as long as they all lived.

However, the night was not to end with all the fast, upbeat dances. They all thought it appropriate to finish with another slow piece for them to sway away to together. So after this final piece had started and everyone had started swaying together to the tune, the Pirate Captain and the Pirate with a Scarf looked lovingly at each other again.

"Well?" asked the Pirate Captain to the Pirate with a Scarf, smiling. "Are you happy then?"

"Yes, of course I am, sir," answered the Pirate with a Scarf, smiling also. "What about you?"

The Pirate Captain chuckled. "In all honesty, Number Two," he began. "I really cannot remember a happier time in my life than this."

"Neither can I, sir," said the Pirate with a Scarf, before leaning his head back into his husband's chest.

"So, you're not afraid anymore then?" asked the Pirate Captain.

The Pirate with a Scarf looked back up at the elder pirate and shook his head. "No, not anymore. After tonight, I won't have anything to be afraid of again. Well, except losing you, of course."

The Pirate Captain just laughed again. "Well, let's not start worrying about that just now, shall we? Not now that we're just married."

The Pirate with a Scarf also laughed and shook his head. "No, quite right. How silly of me."

The Pirate Captain just pulled the younger pirate close and held him tightly in his arms. The Pirate with a Scarf just relaxed in his husband's embrace as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You will _never _lose me, Number Two," whispered the Pirate Captain lovingly into the Pirate with a Scarf's ear. "I love you too much to ever leave you, or to ever let you go."

"I know, Captain," the Pirate with a Scarf whispered back. Looking back up into those dark oaken brown eyes he loved so much, he added. "I love you too."

They just stared deeply into one another's eyes for a second before the Pirate Captain leaned in and caught the Pirate with a Scarf's lips in a soft but passionate kiss. The Pirate with a Scarf returned the kiss eagerly as he let himself be carried off into this wonderful moment. All his life, the first mate knew that this moment would come for him. Though he still couldn't believe that after all this time since then, it would be with the very man that, just a couple of years ago, he was so sure would never return his feelings for him, even after buying him that mug for St. Valentine's Day. Since the Pirate Captain was never really the brightest person in the world, he didn't expect the elder pirate to remember a thing like that, let alone for it to eventually dawn on him the intention of his gesture, and certainly not for him to reciprocate either. Was it really just a matter of time before the Captain would eventually give his heart to him? It didn't matter, for he knew now that no matter what happened from this moment, their love for one another would last a lifetime, maybe a little bit longer, just like it did beforehand.

Soon, both pirates parted lips and continued to dance the night away with their friends, as the illuminated pirate boat continued to sail gently through the now pitch black ocean.


End file.
